Who are the best AFC West running backs right now? Yes, the division has a couple of star quarterbacks like the Kansas City Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes and the Los Angeles Chargers’ Justin Herbert. But it’s time to look at the guys a team can hand the ball off to and expect to move the chains when needed. Here are the five best AFC West running backs for the upcoming season.
Ranking the Top AFC West Running Backs for 2026
5. Kimani Vidal
Coming in at No. 5 is the Chargers’ Kimani Vidal. He’s the only player on the list who isn’t a starter. Well, actually, he did start last season after starter Omarion Hampton got injured.
Vidal did an excellent job, filling in for Hampton in 2025. The former sixth-round pick rushed for an impressive 124 yards in his first-career start in Week 6. Vidal finished the season with 643 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns and also caught 16 passes for 136 yards and a touchdown. In addition, he helped Herbert and the Chargers finish with the second-best record in the AFC and make the playoffs.
4. Omarion Hampton
The Chargers drafted Omarion Hampton in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. As a rookie last season, he missed eight games due to a left ankle fracture, which he suffered in Week 5 against the Washington Commanders. Yet, he still managed to play nine games for the Chargers, recording 545 rushing yards, 192 receiving yards, and five total touchdowns.
Hampton is now healthy and ready to roll, which is great news for the Chargers. If he can avoid the injury bug, he could put together a monster 2026 campaign and emerge as one of the league’s best running backs.
3. J.K. Dobbins
J.K. Dobbins, who re-signed with the Denver Broncos this offseason, is a solid running back when healthy. Unfortunately, he’s rarely healthy. The Ohio State product missed all of 2021, played eight games in 2022, one in 2023, 13 in 2024, and 10 a season ago.
Dobbins’ 2025 season ended prematurely thanks to a Lisfranc injury. Yet, still rushed for 772 yards and four touchdowns despite missing time.
Can Dobbins stay healthy for the entire 2026 season? If he does, the Broncos have a good shot at winning the Super Bowl.
2. Ashton Jeanty
Before Ashton Jeanty was one of the top AFC West running backs, he put together an incredible college career at Boise State. Rushing for 2,601 yards and 29 touchdowns in 2024, he was the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy.
Yet, Jeanty had a decent, but certainly not spectacular, rookie year with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2025. He rushed for 975 yards and five touchdowns while adding 55 receptions for 346 yards and five touchdowns.
Perhaps Jeanty would have had a much better season if it weren’t for the Raiders’ not-so-great offensive line. If the unit approves, he could have a big-time year in Vegas. Plus, he’ll make life a lot easier for rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza.
1. Kenneth Walker III
Last season, it was weird not seeing the Chiefs make the Super Bowl. It seems like they made it 20 years in a row. Speaking of the Super Bowl, the Chiefs signed running back Kenneth Walker III, who was named MVP of the game last season as a member of the Seattle Seahawks.
Walker rushed for 1,027 yards and five touchdowns in 2025, despite splitting carries with Zach Charbonnet. It was the second time in his career that he had hit the 1,000-yard mark.
Walker tops the AFC West running backs list as should emerge as a dangerous offensive weapon for the Chiefs. Maybe he he can help Mahomes, Travis Kelce, and the gang return to the Super Bowl and pick up another Lombardi Trophy.
Main Image: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
